Vault ventilator



April 17, 1928. 1,666,519

R. R. WEST VAULT VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 2, 1925 VVE/vrai ,055 1. WESTPatented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES Boss n. wns'r, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

VAULT VENTILATOR.

Application led November 2, 1925. Serial No. 66,296.

This invention relates generally to a device intended to be used inVentilating the interior of a bank vault.

Bank vaults are commonly constructed 5 substantially air-tight in orderto preclude the possibility of burglary. I case the doors areaccidentally locked aga nst a person within the vault, suttocation willresult in a few hours. 'lo preclude this possibility it has previouslybeen proposed to incorporate a closure or plug iIi one wall of the vaultwhich a person could remove from the interior in order to provide anopening for fresh air. Such an arrangement has been shown in my PatentNo. 1,549,240, issued IAug. ll, 1925. 'lhe diiiiculty with such anarrangement has been that because the plugs must be made fairly small indiameter, the opening provided would not permit a circulation ofexternal air through the vault.

It is an object of this invention to obviate l the above diiculties byproviding a ventilating device which a person within tlie vault mayinsert within the opening upon removal of th closure or plug.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which withthe foregoing, will be set iforth at length in the followingdescription, where I shall outline in full-that form of the inventionwhich I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying andforming part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shownone form of device embodying my invention, but it is to be understoodthat I .do not limit myself to such form, .since the invention, as setforth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a ventilator ein-- bodying my invention, withparts in section, shown in operative position 1n a Ventilating sleeve inthe wall, the same being broken in parts for the purpose of reducing thesize of the drawing. V v

Figure 2 is a right end view of Fig. 1 and Figure 3 is a section takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In Figure 1, I have shown a Ventilating sleeve 1 embedded in a vaultwall 2 of the character described in my Letters Ifatent above referredto although my invention is not limited to use with the particular typeof sleeve therein shown.- 'The present invention comprises a ventilatoradapted to be inserted into the sleeve 1 from within the vault andprojecting through the outer end of the same. Said ventilator is formedwith a tube 3 of smaller diameter than the sleeve 1 so as to leave apassage 4 vbetween its exterior suri'ace and the interior surface of thesleeve. The front end of the tube 3 is provided with a reduced tube 5adapted to extend through the opening 6 at the outer end of the sleeveand project therefrom. This end is reduced to provide a space between itand the surrounding sleeve 1, since said opening 6 is of smallerdiameter than the interior proper of said sleeve. The tube 3 ispreferably fitted telescopically onan extension tube 7 at its inner endso that the length of the unit formed by tubes 3, 5 and 7 may beadjusted to fit the length of the sleeve 1 and roject therefrom. At itsinner end, the tu e 7 is flared outwardly or funnel-shaped as indicatedat 8, and at its edge is formed with a flat peripheral portion 9. Asleeve 10 surrounds the portion 9 and extends on both sides of the same,so as to form at its inner end an enlarged chamber 11 adjacent theenlarged portion 8 of the tube 7. The outer or forward end of the sleeve10 forms a chain` ber 12 around the exterior of the enlar d portion 8 oftube 7 and is provided wit a series of apertures 13. This end ofsleeve10 is closed by a iiange 14 on a tube 15 which is adapted closely to fitinto the inner end of the Ventilating sleeve 1.

From the above it will be seen that two passages in communication withthe interior of the vault are provided, one being provided through thetubes 5, 3 and 7 and chamber 11, and the other between the interior ofsleeve 1 and the exterior of tubes 5 and 3, through tube 15, chamber 12and apertures 13. It will be observed that the ange 14 on tube 15 formsa shoulder which limits the movement of the unit described into thesleeve 1. Preferably, the interior of the chamber 11 and a portion oftube 7, including its funnel portion 8, are provided with a series ofradially 'positioned vanes 16 thus forming a series of air channels.Adjacent the inner end of the sleeve 10 and said air channels, I haveprovided a fan 17 driven by a reversible motor18, which may be of anysuitable type. The motor is supported by a series of radial arms 19within a cylinder 2O .which is adapted to fit over the inner end ofsleeve 10, Preferably the fan 17 is positioned adjacent the chamber 11,so that the cylinder 20 forms a chamber in the rear of the fan. yThecylinder 20 is also providedr with a seriesv of radial vanes 21positioned to correspond with the vanes 16. If the fan is rotating todraw air into the vault, this chamber serves to direct the air into thevault in a more or less solid stream, thereby creating an eicientcirculation. lRegardless of the direction of rotation of the fan, thisarrangement permits the fan to operate more eiliciently, since if thefan were not so inclosed, there would be a tendency for it merely tocreate a turbulent condition of the air within the vault rather than tocreate a circulation between the interior and exterior of the same.' v

Having described the structural details o a ventilator embodying myinvention, its operation will readily be understood from a briefdescription thereof.

'lhe plug having been removed from the sleeve l, the unit is inserted inthe sleeve until the flange 14 abuts against the inner y end thereof,the vtube 3 having been adjusted on the tube 7 to the proper length sothat the tube 5 projects through the opening 6. The motor 18 is thenstarted. Suitable elec- 'tric connections, not shown in the drawings,

are provided, which include' a iexible cord and plug for a socketprovided within the vault for this purpose. When the fan is driven inone direction, air is drawn intoy the vault through the opening 6,passage 4, tube 15, chamber 12 and apertures 13, and is exhausted fromthe vault through sleeve 20, chamber 11 and tubes 7, 3 and 5 in a mannerreadily understood. When the fan rotates in the opposite direction, thedirection of the air through the two passageways described is reversed.By intermittently reversing the direction of the fan, a better aircirculation within the vault may be obtained.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bank vault having a comparatively smalllopening in one wall thereof, a ,Ventilating device adapted to be quicklyand removably mounted inthe opening 1n said wall and constructed tocause simultaneous circulation of air theretive position with saidsleeve upon removal of said closure, said ventilator being constructedto cause simultaneouscirculation of air through' said sleeve into thevault and out through said sleeve.

3. In combination witha bank vault hav-,

ing a comparatively small sleeve in one wall thereof, said sleevevhaving a closure remov. able only from the interior of the vault, of

a Ventilating device adapted to bev quickly, readily and. removablymounted on said sleeve from the interior of the vault, said device beingconstructed tovcause simultaneous circulation of air thru said sleeveinto the vault and out thru said sleeve from theinterior of the vault.

4. In combination with a' bank vault having an opening of comparativelysmall diain` eter in one of its walls, a Ventilating device adapted tobe quickl and removably inserted in said opening rom the interiory ofthe bank vault, said device comprising means extending from the interiorof the vault thru said opening forming an air passageway, meansproviding a second air passageway thru said opening to the interior ofthe vault, and means for causing air to circulate" thru one of saidpassageways into the interior of the vault andcthru the other of saidpassageways from the interior of the vault.

5. In combination with a bank vault having an opening of comparativelysmall diameter in one of -its walls, a portable ventilating deviceadapted to be quickly and removably inserted in said opening from theinterior of the vault, said device comprising means for supporting thesame in and for limiting movement of the same thru said opening, meansforming a-pluraiity of passageways extending romthe interior of thevault to the exterior of the same, and means for causing air tocirculate thru one of said passageways into the interior of the bankvault and -thru the other of said passage- 1 ways from the interior ofthe bank vault. l

6. In combination with a bank vault having a comparatively thick Wallthru which extends an opening of comparatively small diameter, said oening being normally 105 closed by a removable plug, of avventilatingdevice adapted to be removably inserted in said opening to take theplaceof said plug, said device providing separate passages thru said openingfor incoming and outgoing cur- 110 rents of air, and means'for causing'acurrent of air thru one of said passages whereby an oppositely movingcurrent of 'air is caused thru the other passage, said current of airserving to ventilate the bank vault 115 thru said opening.

7. A Ventilating device 'for a vault having an opening in one of itswalls, comprising a tube adapted to be tted in said opening from withinthe vault, means limiting 120 the inward movement of said tube, a hol-vlow member su ported on said tube positioned within t e vault when thedevice is inserted in said opening, means dividing said member into twochambers, one of said 125 chambers being in communication with said tubeand having apertures placing the same in communication with the interiorof the vault, and means-forming a passage in communication with theother o saidchambers V1341 extending throu h said opening and spacedfrom the Walls t ereof, and means for causing air to flow in oppositedirections thru said passages.

8. A Ventilating device for a vault having a comparatively small openingin one of its Walls comprisinr a longitudinally adjustable tubular memer of smaller diameter than said opening and positioned Within saidopening and projecting through the same, means for supporting said tubein spaced relation With res ect to the Wall of said opening so as to orma passageway around the same, means placing said passagen-ay incommunication with the interior of said vault and an electric fan 'forcausing air to liow thru said tubular member, whereby an opposite moving,current is caused through said passageway, said device being quicldyand removably mounted in operative position.

9. A Ventilating device for a. vault having an opening in one of .itsWalls comprising a tubular member of smaller diameter than said openineland positioned Within said opening an projecting through the same,

means for supporting said tube in spaced relation with respect to theWall of said openin so as to form a passageway around the tu e, saidpassageway being in communication with the interior of said vault,radial vanes Within the tubular member adjacent its inner end, and anelectric fan adjacent the ends of said vanos.

l0. A Ventilating device for a vault having an opening in one of itsWalls comprising a tubular member having portions of smaller diameterthan said opening and positioned within said opening and projectino''through the same, means for supporting said tube in s aced relationwith respect to the inner wal of said opening so as to 'form apassageway/.around vthe same, said passageway eing 1n communication withthe interlor of said vault, radiai vanes Within 'the tubular memberadjacent its inner end, an electric 'fan adjacent the inner end of saidtubular member and a cylindrical member surrounding said fan. Intestimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. R0 R WE T Y a SS S

